Class of 1957 marks 50 years with reunion

Being featured in Life magazine for starting a winning football tradition at Lawrence High School was just one highlight for the school's 1957 graduating class.

Members of the class, which had 209 students, will reminisce about the good old days this weekend during a class reunion. A total of 94 alumni are registered to attend.

"There are even some returning who enjoyed our class, but moved away and did not graduate here," said Doris Evans, a member of the 1957 class.

The group regularly meets every five years to catch up, but this year, the 50th anniversary of the group's graduation, Evans said more people than usual will attend.

The three-day event will feature five meetings. At 6 p.m. Friday, they will gather at the Wheel Cafe, 507 W. 14th, which was a popular gathering place for the group in high school. At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, they will tour LHS, which the group hasn't done in many years. Following the tour, the chairwoman of the reunion committee, Marty Shaw, will host a picnic at her residence, where former classmates will release balloons in memory of the 26 deceased members of the class.

The main event will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at Alvamar Country Club, 1809 Crossgate Drive, and will feature a dinner and an authentic 1950s jukebox for their dance. The weekend will wrap up with a breakfast at 9 a.m. Sunday at the American Legion Hall, 3408 W. 6th St.

Pat Kells, a member of the reunion committee, said the group was looking forward to looking back at their experiences.

"Some of it may be crying together, but most of it will be celebration," she said.